Meet Wade Downs | Owner & Chief Stick-Burner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wade Downs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wade, what do you attribute your success to?
Although BBQ is what I serve as a tangible item, the single most important component is the interaction & experience you provide. My goal with every person I am able to serve, is to create a unique memory. When you think back on an experience you had with food, it’s often common to remember who you were with, the emotion, the smell, the attitude, the reason you were there, and how well you were treated. Consistently treating people with the utmost respect & kindness creates an environment in which you want to return. A client or customer will come for the food but stay for the interaction & experience. People First: above all else- people come first.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Texas Rose BBQ Co. was founded with a goal in mind: make a difference & positively impact as many lives as possible. Starting mid 2021 was not the most ideal decision: supplies were scarce at times; cost of goods was at an all-time volatile high, people were dining out less, and BBQ statistically has one of the lowest profit margins. As stated previously, it’s not about the money- it’s about the people! Reminding myself when prices increased, that I need to persevere through the struggles & get creative with my products. First and foremost, I’m a man who loves food, I’m a man who loves human interaction, and I absolutely love the BBQ scene! Business knowledge, taxes, and everything that comes with it was a huge learning curve that I’m still doing my best to understand! If you only take 1 thing away, it’s that I will go above & beyond for my customers each and every time! They have the choice to spend their hard-earned money anywhere & it’s up to me to earn it every single time!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The DFW metroplex is full of unique induvial places that in my opinion, you can’t recreate anywhere else! Places such as The Perot Museum, Oak Lawn, Uptown, Nick & Sam’s, and Al Biernats can’t be duplicated! Events such as the State Fair, a Dallas Stars or Maverick’s game at AAC- DFW is unlike anywhere else you can visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shortly after the decision to start this endeavor I reached out to a man by the name of Bryan McLarty. Bryan is the man behind the very well known & successful 407 BBQ in North Texas. Bryan is someone who has done it all, I contacted him needing advice on an event I was contacted about, long story short he was able to help me see the big picture & how much more I needed to learn & prepare before attempting an event of that size. Bryan opened his doors to me & invited me to work part time and would teach me as much as I could absorb. Not only did I have the opportunity to receive more hands-on experience, but also see firsthand what running an extremely successful operation looks like & how he became the icon he is known to many as! Bryan, thank you for every minute of every day you allowed me to learn from someone like yourself, I will forever be more appreciative than words could express!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasrosebbq/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TxRoseBBQCo

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@wadecancook